Back to the book Ear Infections · Matt Steele

Articles

What parents are not told about ear infections

Short, sourced pieces on the questions that come up most. Each cites the guideline or trial it draws on, including the evidence that argues against the alarming version.

Treatment comparison

Ear tubes vs antibiotics: what the evidence actually says

Antibiotics treat one ear infection. Tubes aim to prevent the next ones. What the guidelines say, where the trials disagree, and the questions to ask your pediatrician.

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Thresholds

How many ear infections is too many?

There is a number, and most parents have never been told it. The recurrent otitis media thresholds used in US guidelines, and why counting matters more than any single episode.

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Otitis media with effusion

Fluid in the ear after the infection clears

The pain stops, the antibiotic finishes, and fluid stays. How long that normally lasts, when it stops being normal, and why it is rarely rechecked.

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Development

Ear infections and speech delay

The honest version: the hearing loss is real, the long-term developmental effect is contested, and the major randomised trials found no difference. What that means for your child.

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Standard of care

Watchful waiting for ear infections

Leaving without antibiotics is often the guideline-recommended path, not a brush-off. Who qualifies, who does not, and what to watch for.

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What to watch for

Signs of hearing loss in toddlers parents miss

Fluid-related hearing loss is partial, painless, and easy to read as behaviour. The specific signs, and when to ask for a hearing test.

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Procedure

Ear tube surgery: what to expect

Tympanostomy tube placement, start to finish. Duration, anesthesia, recovery, aftercare, risks, and how long tubes stay in.

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Referral

When to see an ENT about your child's ears

The specific triggers for an ENT referral in recurrent ear infections and persistent fluid, and how to ask for one without a fight.

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